This walk was organised as a Wednesday walk by the combined CBC/FBI/NPA clubs and led by Peter W:

('Wed 19 – Moonlight Hollow Road - Bendoura Arboretum – 15 km Medium. Starting at Bulls Head we will go along Moonlight Hollow Road, then to Bendoura Arboretum for lunch. We will go back to the cars by going along the ridge-top close to the Mt Frankin Road but taking in Bushranger Hill, Forest Knob etc. Total climb is 500 m but distributed throughout the walk. Map: Tidbinbilla.').

26 of us walked.  We met at Cooleman Court at 8.30am and drove via Uriarra Crossing to Piccadilly Circus, then on to Bulls Head car park.

The walk started at the Bulls Head picnic area car park.  We headed left onto Moonlight Hollow Road and I was soon thrilled to be walking through large area of unburnt trees.  It was a pleasure to see green leaves and supple branches up to the ridge line and below down the gullies as we tramped the road.

With a couple of short stops along the way, we reached Bendora Arboretum just before 12 noon.  An interesting place - I'd never visited before.  The various arboreta 'are trail softwood plantations that were established from 1928 onwards in the Brindabella Range'.  Bendora was established in 1940.  Obviously the ubiquitous Pinus Radiata won!  Someone found a plan of the arboretum which certainly added to our enjoyment of the area.  After lunch, we went for a stroll around the various plots.  Yellow-tailed black cockatoos were feasting on the cones.

We were back up at the Mt Franklin Road by 1.25pm.  We set of along the road until it took a right hand turn, then climbed the ridge along an old fire trail to Bushranger Hill.  Nice views back south to Bendora Hill.  Newly constructed low profile dry rock cairns/walls marked the NSW/ACT border.  Then down the ridge to touch the main road again, then up to Forest Knob.

We returned to Bulls Head by continuing to follow the ridge, crossing the main road on a couple of occasions.  We came out at the lovely grassed picnic area.

Distance: 14.3km  Time: 9.30am-2.45pm, with 1 hour 15 minutes of stops.